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During my transmission removal I broke one of the rear drive shaft universal joint strap bolts off in the differential pinion yoke. I read several threads on other forums that ranged from I'm screwed and it requires a complete diff tear down to you can remove it and reinstall it to the same preload. I'm going to pull the yoke to remove the bolt remains and then put it back together.If at some point it self destructs the I guess we'll know if this isn't a viable repair option.
Here's the video I'm basically copying http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15zHpz6Zx8c. I hope roadragecustoms doesn't have a problem with it.
To remove: Make a mark to allow installing the pinion bolt back to the same spot by drawing a single line from one universal joint cap saddle to the other crossing the nut, washer and pinion shaft (I used a correction fluid pen). At the bottom of the nut count the number of threads exposed. Impact the nut off, remove the crush washer if you can, and use a puller to remove the yoke.
To install: Place the yoke back onto the pinion shaft so that the alignment line is straight. Place the crush washer in with the alignment line straight (probably not to important to keep this straight but the line will make sure it's facing original side out). Turn and tighten the nut to where the alignment line is straight and the same number of threads are exposed at the bottom of the nut.
This should have put the nut, crush washer, and yoke back to the original position and preload.
My bolt had broken at the shoulder about 1/4 inch up from where the threads started. To remove the bolt I placed the yoke on the ground with the universal side up and flange side down then filled the hole with Liquid Wrench. Once it had drained out I filled it again. The next day I took the yoke to work where I have access to a punch set and a drill press. Our punch set is varying diameters and I picked one that was just smaller that the shoulder hole so I knew that punch would be dead center. I then placed the yoke in a vice we have that sits on the drill press to make sure it was square and vertical. I drilled my first hole with an 1/8 inch cobalt bit using copious amounts of thread starter oil. I then picked a bit which just barely fit through one of the good holes meaning a bit slightly smaller than the thread inner diameter (7/16" I think). I placed this in the press and drilled through the bolt again. I then picked a bit slightly smaller than the shoulder hole meaning slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the thread. I drilled with this until I was about where I thought the shoulder stopped and the threads started.
Even after all that I still had a slight amount of bolt left to one side of the hole (even with the punch set and drill press I ended up a little off center). I took a punch we had that was 1/8" round and ground the head off to kind of a flat blade. I hammer this in between the bolt remains and the shoulder hole and pried out on it. Took a few times bt I was able to break the old bolt shoulder off.
Next I ran the hole with a 5/16-24 tap to cut out the old rest of the old bolt. I ran the tap all the way through and out the bottom the of the hole. I also ran the other three holes for good measure.
Since I might have slightly damaged some of the threads one one side of the hole I wanted to get a bolt that was slightly longer to make sure I could pick up the undamaged threads at the bottom of the hole. A local industrial supply place had replacement bolts (allen heads vice 6 point) that were the same thread, pitch, and shoulder length with the threads the extra 3/8" I wanted.
I will be installing all this in the next few days (my transmission will be done tomorrow) weather permitting.
Again if the assembly blows up I will post it here. If no detrimental posts then I guess it's good to go.
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